pessimistic

[pes-uh-mis-tik]

See more synonyms for pessimistic on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pertaining to or characterized by pessimism or the tendency to expect only bad outcomes; gloomy; joyless; unhopeful: His pessimistic outlook kept him from applying for jobs for which he was perfectly qualified.

Origin of pessimistic

First recorded in 1865–70; pessimist + -ic

Related formspes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·pes·si·mis·tic, adjectivenon·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·pes·si·mis·tic, adjectiveo·ver·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·pes·si·mis·tic, adjectiveun·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Synonyms

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despairing, hopeless.

Synonym study

See cynical.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pessimistic

Contemporary Examples

“I fall very much on the pessimistic spectrum, in the sense that I get very confused about it,” she says.
Confessions of a Rom-Com Writer: Liz Tuccillo Talks ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Take Care,’ and More
Kevin Fallon
December 5, 2014
It satirizes and parodies the romanticised, pessimistic accounts of rural life by writers like Thomas Hardy and Mary Webb.
These Female Contemporaries Weren’t Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Louisa Treger
November 20, 2014
But at the time I was so pessimistic that the notion of staying and fighting just seemed like an empty gesture.
Can Carl Hiaasen Save Florida?
Malcolm Jones
September 19, 2014
Hoffman plays Jon Savage, the sarcastic and pessimistic brother (and confidant) to his sister, Wendy.
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Best Performances: ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘Capote,’ and More
Marlow Stern
February 2, 2014
She sounded “pessimistic” he said and did not believe that she would come out of jail before the February Games.
Why Is Putin Pardoning His Political Enemies?
Anna Nemtsova
December 19, 2013

Historical Examples

There was none to speak of left now except in Africa; and they were pessimistic about Africa.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He had the most pessimistic forebodings of what the future might have in store for him.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
"I knew he was a quitter;" the woman's companion was pessimistic.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
My thoughts at that period of suffering were pessimistic in the extreme.
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson
"We hate each other," retorted the pessimistic Number Twelve.
The Monster Men
Edgar Rice Burroughs

Word Origin and History for pessimistic

adj.

1866, from pessimist + -ic.

pessimistic

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Synonyms

Synonym study

Related Words

Examples from the Web for pessimistic

Contemporary Examples

“I fall very much on the pessimistic spectrum, in the sense that I get very confused about it,” she says.

It satirizes and parodies the romanticised, pessimistic accounts of rural life by writers like Thomas Hardy and Mary Webb.

But at the time I was so pessimistic that the notion of staying and fighting just seemed like an empty gesture.

Hoffman plays Jon Savage, the sarcastic and pessimistic brother (and confidant) to his sister, Wendy.

She sounded “pessimistic” he said and did not believe that she would come out of jail before the February Games.

Historical Examples

There was none to speak of left now except in Africa; and they were pessimistic about Africa.

He had the most pessimistic forebodings of what the future might have in store for him.

"I knew he was a quitter;" the woman's companion was pessimistic.

My thoughts at that period of suffering were pessimistic in the extreme.

"We hate each other," retorted the pessimistic Number Twelve.

Word Origin and History for pessimistic

adj.

Origin of pessimistic